I recently spent a few days with Kyra and Billy at their home in beautiful Carmel Valley, CA to help Kyra with her weight loss and health goals. I left Kyra with 2 days of recipes and a couple new exercise regimens that will help build her muscle mass while accelerating her fat burning.

BACKGROUND:

Kyra had been struggling with her weight since she turned 40. She lives a clean life, is mostly vegetarian and eats fish a couple times a week, and is in tune with healthy living. Kyra goes to the gym several times a week, and takes long walks almost daily. She travels for work about 2 weeks each month, and wanted an easy plan for preparing her own food when not at home. Plus, she wanted to be able to balance out the excess food and drink across the rest of her life with healthier detoxing foods made at home. Kyra needed refinement to her regimen to up her health results.

Her man Billy, on the other hand, is not as health conscious. His diet consists of primarily animal products, and it’s been a struggle to get him to even taste the healthier foods Kyra makes.

SHOPPING AND PANTRY:

First, I helped to clear out Kyra’s fridge and pantry. Next, we went to the local co-op, where I taught her to shop for ingredients and produce. We also went to Earthbound Organic’s Farm Stand, which was full of amazing veggies and fruits.

MY FOOD PROGRAM FOR KYRA:

I replaced all of Kyra’s protein powders with whole, unprocessed foods like quinoa, buckwheat, sea vegetables, dark leafy greens, with occasional eggs and fish.
To offset her intense sugar cravings, I upped her protein intake, using the ingredients listed above.

I love green juices, and think of them as my daily multi-vitamin. In the same way I would never think to live off a bottle of vitamins only, I don’t think to starve myself on a 5-10 day juice fast in order to detox (unless I had a tumor to starve or some other acute health crisis).

It seems to be a new trend here in LA that people with unhealthy processed diets and lifestyles, who even smoke, suddenly think it’s okay to starve for 7 days on a juice cleanse to make everything better. How about focusing instead on creating a healthier lifestyle through exercise, clean eating, mediation, and happiness rather than starving? These are the real keys to longevity.

Green juices are wonderful for vitamins and minerals, and for nourishing our bodies. But, it’s so much more FUN and less painful to enjoy delicious Raw Foods while accidentally DETOXing! Feasting on Raw Foods, rather than starving on a juice cleanse, is safer and healthier for you.

We’re designed to be eating whole foods. Starving our bodies on just juice cannibalizes our muscle mass, slows down our metabolism, and will make us gain weight as soon as we eat again (besides throwing off our hormones, along with triggering a slew of other biological reactions). It’s painful to starve ourselves. Why deny ourselves when instead we can feast and enjoy delicious Raw Foods to cleanse and detox?

We kicked off Ani’s Raw Food Certification Course, Level 1 on March 15, 16, 17th, 2013 to a packed house! It was a weekend of raw food making and eating, eco-green living inspiration, and happiness all around. Experiencing visible transformations as people detox on raw food for 3 days is incredible! The room’s happiness index kept rising up as our days passed, and people glowed.

I love green juices, and think of them as my daily multi-vitamin. In the same way I would never think to live off a bottle of vitamins only, I don’t think to starve myself on a 5-10 day juice fast in order to detox (unless I had a tumor to starve or some other acute health crisis).

It seems to be a new trend here in LA that people with unhealthy processed diets and lifestyles, who even smoke, suddenly think it’s okay to starve for 7 days on a juice cleanse to make everything better. How about focusing instead on creating a healthier lifestyle through exercise, clean eating, mediation, and happiness rather than starving? These are the real keys to longevity.

Green juices are wonderful for vitamins and minerals, and for nourishing our bodies. But, it’s so much more FUN and less painful to enjoy delicious Raw Foods while accidentally DETOXing! Feasting on Raw Foods, rather than starving on a juice cleanse, is safer and healthier for you.

We’re designed to be eating whole foods. Starving our bodies on just juice cannibalizes our muscle mass, slows down our metabolism, and will make us gain weight as soon as we eat again (besides throwing off our hormones, along with triggering a slew of other biological reactions). It’s painful to starve ourselves. Why deny ourselves when instead we can feast and enjoy delicious Raw Foods to cleanse and detox?

NetKal Gala full of incredible people from the entertainment industry. This was the beautiful view of the rose gardens as we arrived at the Gala. Styled by my favorite eco fashion designer Linda Loudermilk. Event held at USC Annenberg Center.

This is just one of several decks overlooking the ocean for dining and drinking. What a view!

This is the beach at Mom Tri’s….turquoise water and white sands. I did get a minor jelly fish sting. I was with a doctor, luckily, who kept me calm, and though it left welts on my arm, it was really not a big deal. I tried to swim a mile a day in the ocean. It was bath water warm and such a treat.